An Engagement, Not A Crime
by XxTwistedThornxX
Summary: "Are you going to let one of these men whisk me away tonight? Will you let someone steal me out from under you?" "Never." "Then stop spouting nonsense," she demanded. She turned in his hold, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. "Just…tell me you love me."


"Are you sure about this?" Anders pulled at his sleeve self-consciously, grimacing at the material. The satin of a nobleman felt out of place on his skin, like water flowing over his arms and chest. The collar was tight around his throat and his anxiety only made it that much harder to breathe in the confining tunic.

"If I have to suffer tonight, so do you," Sable called from the bath. Anders frowned, glancing toward the closed door with contempt. He sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh, pouting like a child scolded and sent off to his room without dinner.

"You know this is a bad idea," He huffed, "A _very _bad idea."

"Two apostates living under the same roof hasn't exactly gone without notice. Besides, if the Templars were going to arrest us they'd have done it by now. Having friends on the inside pays off and so long as you're here with me, they can't touch you. Cullen has assured me of that."

The sound of water sloshing caught Anders's attention and he watched the door expectantly as the patter of wet feet approached.

"Cullen, huh? You know he's mad, don't you?"

"Mad?" Sable laughed, opened the door, and stepped into the bedroom in a cloud of steam. Her wet, ebony curls were pinned to the top of her head but a few rogue strands slithered over her shoulders to rest atop her caramel breasts. A thin, light blue robe hid her nakedness from him, but the loose sash offered peeks at the tantalizing flesh below as she moved for the wardrobe.

"Yes," Anders swallowed, trying to bring moisture back to his dry mouth. His eyes focused on her swaying hips as she walked. "I heard when the Fereldan circle was overrun he grew mad by Uldred's visions. That's what Melody told me, at any rate."

"Naturally, you had escaped during the chaos," Sable smirked over her shoulder at him and Anders grinned.

"You know me too well," He stood and stepped behind her, resting his hands on her hips. "All I'm saying is: Melody said he was pretty far gone. I was shocked—to say the least—to hear he was in Kirkwall."

"What _is _my cousin like?" Sable asked, pulling her velvet, turquoise gown from the rack.

"Do you really want to talk about your cousin?" Anders murmured, pressing a kiss against Sable's exposed neck. His hand glided over her hip and slipped into her robe, caressing the warm, smooth thigh inside.

Sable slapped his hand away and frowned at him, but her ice-blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"You're making me go to your boring party—"

"My _mother's_ boring party," Sable corrected, closing the wardrobe.

"_The_ boring party, when I know a far more entertaining way to spend our evening."

Sable turned to face him and smirked, popping a button of his shirt open.

"Anders," she purred, moving her fingers to unbutton the other fastens one by one. "You can't possibly mean to forsake my mother's long nights of planning and _exceedingly_ charming guests simply to ravish me all night?"

"Well," Anders smirked, "I never said anything about 'simply,' I've been toying with some ideas for a while."

With Sable's daring stare egging him on, Anders leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. She sighed and slipped her hand inside his shirt, running her warm fingers down his chest to his navel. Anders stepped forward, pinning her against the wardrobe and suckling gently on her bottom lip.

He tugged at her sash, slipping his finger between the knot and trying to yank it free as his other hand removed the clip from Sable's hair. Her long, damp tresses tumbled through his fingers and he gripped them firmly, pulled her head back, and deepened their kiss.

A rapping at the door startled them apart.

"Sable, aren't you ready yet?" Leandra Amell's voice called from the other side of the wood.

"Not quite, mother," Sable answered, clashing her lips against Anders's once more. She abandoned her gown on the floor and tugged Anders's shirt off his shoulders. Her hands went to his hair, pulling some strands from the leather tie in her desperation to hold him closer.

"The first guests are already arriving!"

"In a _moment_, please!"

Anders moved to her neck and she gasped when his hand slipped inside of her robe, dipping between her thighs. He nipped her nape as her nails bit into his scalp, bruising the soft flesh with his teeth.

The door creaked open and Leandra entered the room. Anders quickly stepped back and shifted, attempting to hide the hardness in the front of his trousers from the older woman. Sable scrambled to close her robe, coughing nervously and keeping her eyes anywhere but her mother's face.

Leandra's hazel eyes narrowed at the couple, taking in their flushed faces and disheveled appearances. She turned her glare to Anders and he gulped nervously, watching her warily as she strode over to him. Her regal, lavender gown billowed around her ankles in the latest Orleasian style, her silver hair was braided down her back with velvet ribbon.

The way her softly painted lips puffed out and her eyes sharpened made him feel as though he were staring at Sable 30 years into the future.

"I think it's best that my daughter be left to get ready, don't you?"

Anders glanced at Sable, but the coldness of Leandra's stare commanded his attention back. He smoothed his loose strands of hair back in place and nodded. The Amell woman tapped her foot expectantly and pointed for the door.

"Erm…Yes, ma'am," Ander muttered quickly, pulled his shirt back over his shoulders and walked awkwardly out into the hall. When the door clicked shut, Leandra turned to Sable and prepared to speak, but her daughter held up a hand.

"Mother, don't."

"You know that you can do so much better," Leandra pleaded.

"Is that what _your_ mother told you?" Sable challenged.

"That was different!"

"_How is it different_?!"

"I know what I gave up. I never wanted that life for you, for any of you. You deserved to grow up better! If I could go back I would…"

Sable's eyes widened incredulously.

"You wouldn't have married father…is that what you're telling me?"

"I…would have found another way."

"You're unbelievable!"

Leandra sighed and picked up her daughter's discarded dress from the floor, smoothing out the wrinkles and laying it on the bed.

"There are a lot of fine young men that will be coming tonight. I'm sure one of them will—"

"Get out of my room. Now."

"You're just like your father," Leandra frowned, "So stubborn."

"I'm sure you wish that you never had me either, then."

"Sable…"

Sable crossed her arms, glowering at her mother.

"I won't ask you again."

Leandra looked at the young woman helplessly, but turned and left without another word. She pulled the door shut behind her and briskly walked to the stairs, passing Anders in the hall without sparing him a glance. The mage watched her descend the steps and frowned, turning back for Sable's bedroom.

When he entered, Sable had her bare back to the door. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her dress and didn't turn to greet him, but Anders could feel her furrowed brow and pursed lips like static in the air. He approached silently and began to lace up the back of her gown, brushing her hair over her shoulder and planting a soft kiss on the uncovered flesh. He tied the laces snugly and embraced her from behind, sighing softly at the feeling of her heart beating against his.

Silence—though not uncomfortable—stretched between them. Sable kept her stare focused on the bed, fighting the burning in her eyes as she tried to enjoy being in Anders's arms. He didn't make it easy for her.

"Your mother is right, sweetheart," He said after a few moments, "You deserve someone better."

Sable tried to pull away but Ander's embrace kept her firmly in place. Instead, she glanced over her shoulder, eyeing him accusingly.

"Are you going to let one of these men whisk me away tonight? Will you let someone steal me out from under you?"

"Never."

"Then stop spouting nonsense," Sable demanded. She turned in his hold, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. "Just…tell me you love me."

"I love you," Anders swore, kissing the top of her head, "You know I do."

Sable nodded, tilted her head, and planted a chaste kiss against his lips. She took a step back and looked him over, smiling weakly.

"You look ridiculous."

"And you look beautiful."

Anders offered his arm and Sable took it with a sigh, her fingers trailing along his bicep.

"Let's just get this night over with."


End file.
